Various types of exercise machines and devices are well known in the art. The present marketplace includes neck systems, back systems, shoulder machines, pulleys, weights, cams and other devices. Products include Nautilus®, Cybex®, and free weights, among others. There are barbells, dumbbells, bands, tubing, multi-neck machines, and multi-hip machines. Many of the systems are reputable and of good quality, and would most certainly be of benefit to the user.
Many known exercise devices includes resilient elastic cables to provide resistance to motion. Such an exercise device are particularly useful in that, as contrasted with barbells and dumbbells, substantial resistive forces can be generated by a relatively lightweight, portable device. A principal drawback to elastic cable exercise devices, however, is the difficulty encountered in attempting to adjust the restoring force. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,867 to Hinds discloses an elastic cable exercise device comprising a cable having stirrups at each end and a bar that engages the central portion of the cable to provide a handle for the user to pull against the cable. Hinds discloses that the effective free length of the cable is adjusted by wrapping the cable about the ends of the bar. The assembly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,546 issued to Little invokes a wall mounted guide rail framework comprising aperture engaging pins and spaced apertures along the sides for tethering height adjustment, simple channel engagement pins secured by cotter pins, as well as handgrips, pulleys and elastic cords. U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,602 issued to Roberts also employs handgrips, pulleys and elastic cord as do the foregoing. While the patent focuses upon door stop or door impingement tethering, instructions are included therein to mount a rigid framework comprising spaced apertures upon the walls in the corner of a room, the apertures providing tethering points for apparatus connecting links. U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,741 issued to Hermanson illustrates a special framework upon which several pulley wheels are mounted in a selected pattern which permits lengthening or shortening the elastic cord to vary the tethering tension.
Therefore a need exists for a portable, lightweight, foldable apparatus with easily adjustable tension settings and is suitable for performing wide variety of exercises. A further need exists for an exercise device that utilizes bodyweight resistance to assist in performance of exercises. Such an apparatus can assist a user who cannot sufficiently perform exercises without assistance. Such an apparatus is especially adaptable and useful to individuals who may be handicapped or undergoing physical rehabilitation and the like.
The apparatus and methods of the invention will be understood and appreciated further from the following description in connection with the drawings. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention.